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Career Advice
Melding Talents With a Career
in Bioprocessing
By Emma Hitt
July 15, 2011
Photo courtesy Battelle
Bioprocessing is an expanding
field encompassing any process
that uses living cells or their
components (e.g., bacteria,
Credit: Photograph by Izabela Gierach
enzymes, or chloroplasts) to
obtain desired products, such
David Wood (left) and graduate
as biofuels and therapeutics.
student Michael Coolbaugh prepare
a small fermentation vessel for
As with other fields considered
growing recombinant E. coli cells.
under the broader scope of
biotechnology, bioprocessing
draws upon multiple areas of knowledge, but especially molecular biology,
chemical engineering, and manufacturing. With advances in biotechnology
and an ongoing need for pharmaceuticals and sustainable forms of fuel as
well as cheaper, more effective ways to make them, the opportunities in
bioprocessing, at both the undergraduate and graduate level, are looking
promising. By Emma Hitt
“I’ve found that one
thing that binds many
people who work in
this industry is the
satisfaction that the
work that you’re doing
is going to making
someone’s life better.”
—Michael Fino
THE SPECTRUM OF BIOPROCESSING
Bioprocessing, in its broadest sense, is the conversion of raw materials into products using
biological processes. According to David Wood, professor in the Department of Chemical and
Biomolecular Engineering at the Ohio State University, bioprocessing can be loosely divided
into four major and somewhat diverse areas, namely: (1) large-scale food processing, (2)
the manufacture of fine chemicals and small-molecule pharmaceuticals, (3) the production of
recombinant protein therapeutics (biologics), and (4) the generation of renewable energy.
“Bioprocessing is generally distinguished from farming or agriculture in that it usually refers to
methods that include the use of isolated cells or enzymes in an artificial environment,” explains
Wood. However, he points out that bioprocessing is a highly diverse field of study that can range
from the large-scale manufacture of fermented foods or biofuels to smaller-scale, high-value
therapeutic protein production. Although all of these processes are tied together by their reliance
on a biological component, the scale, technologies involved, and economic drivers exhibit enormous
diversity, says Wood.
“The bioprocessing field spans processes yielding a few grams of product worth millions of dollars
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per gram (e.g., some pharmaceuticals), to processes yielding
millions of tons of products worth a few cents per pound (e.g.,
some biofuels),” says Lee Rybeck Lynd, professor in environmental engineering design, at the Thayer School of Engineering at Dartmouth College in New Hampshire.
Suwan N. Jayasinghe, principal investigator for the
biophysics group in the Department of Mechanical Engineering
at University College London (UCL), United Kingdom, explains
that the term bioprocessing is expanding to include a greater
variety of disciplines including biophysics, biotechnology, and
biomaterials. “In essence there are several ways to define the
field and wide variations exist,” he says.
Considering the diversity of bioprocessing research and
the increasing demand for products such as biofuels and
pharmaceuticals, career opportunities are likely to grow.
Lee Rybeck Lynd
“This is an ever-expanding industry,” says UCL’s Jayasinghe.
“Our need for tackling and understanding our evolving health
care problems are constantly challenging conventional biology and medicine and thus requires the
constant need for new minds.”
Wood points out that although bioprocessing as a whole is a fairly mature field, some areas
continue to grow and still others are emerging. “Certainly the development of renewable energy is
a rapidly expanding area, with many opportunities for growth,” he says.
TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES IN BIOPROCESSING
One area in the United States particularly ripe with opportunity and growth is the research triangle
area in North Carolina. According to the North Carolina Community Colleges BioNetwork, the state
has over 525 bioscience-related companies that employ about 58,000 people—making it one of the
top biotech hubs in the United States.
“We’ve worked closely with the state and the North Carolina Biotechnology Center to attract more
industry to the area, and having a pipeline of well-trained students is one of the lures that attract
those companies here,” says Chris Daubert, professor and interim head of the Department of
Food, Bioprocessing, and Nutrition Sciences at North Carolina State University (NCSU). According to Daubert, NCSU offers one of the first undergraduate degree-granting programs specifically
directed towards a career in bioprocessing. The program recently graduated their first crop of students in spring 2010.
MiraCosta College in Oceanside, North San Diego County, California is also located in one of the
larger hubs of life science activity in the United States and offers certificate programs that focus on
laboratory skills, bioprocess technology, and the production and analysis of biofuels, says Michael
Fino, lead instructor in the Bioprocess Technology Program at MiraCosta.
“There’s little doubt that the future of medicine, including
diagnosis and treatment, will be founded in biotechnology,” he says.
“In addition, biotechnology is expected to play a critical role in our
future energy independence—there’s tremendous growth potential.”
However, Fino points out that the growth rate, as with other areas
of scientific development, will be heavily dependent on private and
government funding, making it susceptible to economic changes.
NCSU’s bioprocessing science program lists quality assurance,
process development, and product development as potential career
paths for graduates of their program.
“People who hold certificates or Bachelor’s-level degrees are
more likely to be involved in actually carrying out the bioprocessing
techniques, whereas those with graduate-level backgrounds are
more likely to be involved in the development and understanding of
bioprocessing techniques,” Fino says.
Credit: BioPhysics Group-UCL
There are many suitable graduate degrees for students interested
in bioprocessing, including Professional Master’s programs in
Suwan N. Jayasinghe
microbial microbiology or biomanufacturing and M.S. programs
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Credit: Photo: Jessica Fino
Michael Fino
coursework and an internship.
in microbiology, food science, biochemistry, or engineering,
says NCSU’s Daubert. “There are all sorts of avenues for
these students to pursue,” he explains, and adds that these
types of degrees allow students to keep their career options
open since the curriculum also prepares them for professional
school, medical school, or pharmacy school.
According to Hans Blaschek, director for the Center for
Advanced BioEnergy Research (CABER) at the University of
Illinois, there are considerable opportunities in bioprocessing
for students with both the undergraduate and graduate
degrees, especially those with an expertise in scaling up
and translating protocols from the lab bench to production.
The biofuels, bioenergy, and pharmaceutical industries in
particular are likely to need graduates with such expertise.
To help train students, CABER offers a bioenergy-focused
curriculum via their Professional Science Master’s program.
Now in its third year, the program also offers students an
opportunity to gain professional business experience through
CAREER DIRECTIONS
Key to the future of bioprocessing, says Dartmouth’s Lynd, will be personnel who are qualified to
run all phases of operations for bioprocessing facilities and equipment, at the research, pilot, and
commercial scale as well as process-related aspects of research and development. “Bioprocessing
needs engineers of various kinds [including chemical, biochemical, mechanical, process control,
and instrumentation engineers], chemists, and life scientists,” he says. He adds that most jobs in
bioprocessing are more focused on process development and operation than early-stage research
and development.
In industry, there are ample opportunities for people with backgrounds in both life sciences and
engineering. Beth Junker, senior scientific director in the bioprocess development group at Merck
Research Laboratories, explains that Merck is focusing on using bioprocessing techniques to develop biologics and vaccine candidates for their pipeline. She adds that “green chemistry” is being
highly leveraged in the form of biocatalytic conversions for several synthetically derived product
candidates.
According to Junker, the company’s needs include people who are skilled in manufacturing using
bioprocessing techniques as well as the analysis and development of new bioprocessing methods.
“We typically hire biochemical and chemical engineers, biochemists, microbiologists, and analytical
and physical chemists,” she says, for “opportunities that largely focus on advancing product
candidates through our pipeline and transferring their production to manufacturing.”
At Incell—a small company in San Antonio, Texas, that provides contract services for various
biomedical applications in the areas of regenerative medicine,
cancer, vaccines, and infectious diseases—people with
bioprocessing knowledge in areas such as product development,
research, testing, and quality assurance and control are typically
hired, says Mary Pat Moyer, chief executive officer and chief
science officer. However, she points out that “everyone is
expected to do multiple jobs in a small company and to support
the overall team effort.”
TRENDS IN BIOPROCESSING
Bioprocessing depends on ever-advancing technology and
will continue to evolve as new methods are developed. Wood
believes that synthetic organisms specifically designed for
efficient biofuel production will become increasingly important
in the future. “The development of these organisms is only
beginning. Although their likely capabilities are still unclear, this
is an area where highly creative and well-trained individuals
Credit: (c) Merck & Co. Inc. 2011
Beth Junker
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will find exciting careers,” Wood explains. “Once
created, these organisms would enable completely new
approaches for energy production, and the processes
to effectively utilize these microbes would also require
development,” he says.
In the biopharmaceutical area, “the focus on
recombinant human antibody therapeutics, along with the
development of extremely efficient platform processes
for their manufacture, has accelerated the maturation of
the industry,” he says. However, the biopharmaceutical
industry is being affected by expiring patents and
overseas migration of manufacturing facilities, as well
as various acquisitions and consolidation among existing
Credit: H. Blaschek
companies, and these factors have led to uncertainty
about job growth in this sector.
Hans Blaschek
“My feeling is that the [biopharmaceutical] industry
is in transition, and job creation will grow with the
development of personalized medicines and the discovery of new classes of therapeutic proteins,”
says Wood, noting that the development of high throughput genome sequencing as well as efficient
and reliable manufacturing processes has set the stage for an explosion in targeted therapeutics
based on the genetic makeup of patient populations. Although the discovery of these products will
be driven by basic science, their development and manufacture will require bioprocess engineers
skilled in the different facets of manufacturing, he adds.
ADVICE FOR BIOPROCESSING CAREER SEEKERS
Students seeking a career in bioprocessing should begin thinking about how their background
applies or can be tailored to meet the growing needs of the field. “My primary advice to anyone
considering this field is to take as many courses in engineering and biology as possible,” says
Wood. “The new era of bioprocessing will be driven by basic biological science in harmony with
conventional engineering approaches, and those who can move easily between those two worlds
will have the greatest opportunities and impacts in this area,” he says. “This fact is becoming
increasingly clear to hiring managers and companies, and many universities have now specifically
increased their teaching and research efforts in biological and biomolecular engineering.”
Junker notes that careers in bioprocessing are largely interdisciplinary in nature so “some
knowledge and appreciation of the challenges outside one’s
own area of expertise is highly valued,” she says. “Teamwork
and written and oral communication skills also are essential,
especially for effective and efficient problem-solving,” she adds.
Moyer agrees that practical skills for operations, problemsolving, and teamwork are important, as are strong
communication skills—both written and verbal. “Prior job
experience, preferably in a job outside of academic training, is
required for all employment levels at Incell,” she adds.
According to Robinson, people seeking a career in bioprocessing
should get plenty of experience in molecular biology and chemical
engineering at the graduate and postdoctoral level and should
seek to develop a mixture of technical skills in these areas.
By all accounts, a career in bioprocessing can be highly
rewarding. “I’ve found that one thing that binds many people
who work in this industry is the satisfaction that the work that
you’re doing is going to making someone’s life better,” says Fino.
Emma Hitt is a freelance medical and science writer residing in
Marietta, Georgia.
10.1126/science.opms.r1100105
Credit: Photo Provided
by INCELL Corporation LLC
Mary Pat Moyer
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As a sign of the field’s infancy and growth, the International Society for BioProcess Technology was launched only last year. We interviewed the organization’s
Executive Director Keith L. Carson, ChE, MBA, about the bioprocessing industry
and potential careers in the field.
Q: How does The International Society for BioProcess Technology serve its
members?
A: The International Society for BioProcess Technology is dedicated to the scientists and
engineers who have day-to-day responsibility for creating and managing scalable and
reproducible processes as well as the assays needed to ensure indisputable quality. Through
networking events and the society’s web-based resources, biotech professionals can access
and share the techniques and best practices needed for safe, effective, and consistent
products.
We also provide resources to help companies find the right individuals, and help individuals
find the right jobs.
Q: What are some of the undergraduate and graduate career options available in
this field and what are the job prospects like?
A: There is a continual need for both undergraduate and graduate qualifications holders
throughout the bioprocessing industry for positions in research, process development,
production, quality control, quality assurance, validation, and other functions. There is a
fairly constant demand for degrees from all the biological sciences including biochemistry,
microbiology, cell biology, and molecular biology. In addition, good chemists can always
provide significant value in a number of areas including protein and analytical chemistry.
Then there is a strong need for engineers who can interface effectively with the scientists,
plus design and operate the systems and facilities needed to make the products. The field
is dominated by chemical engineers, but biochemical and mechanical engineers also occupy
important positions, and it is certainly possible for an electrical engineer to find a role on the
facility and instrumentation side of the larger companies.
While it does help to have an advanced degree, a Bachelor-level degree is sufficient for the
engineering disciplines and many of the scientific fields of study. Then an MBA is always a plus
for those who want to move up into management.
While many of the larger companies have been cutting staff over the last two years, I have
been seeing growth in the smaller firms, and especially the contract service companies [that
perform testing, development, and production]. However, for career advancement, it tends to
work best if someone can first get a few years under his or her belt at a big company.
Q: What advice would you have for someone who might be interested in a career
in this field?
A: I highly recommend that individuals do all they can to intern with a large biopharmaceutical
company while in undergraduate school, plus take advantage of programs that many universities offer and allow undergraduates to work alternating semesters in very meaningful jobs.
Then if someone wants an advanced degree, he or she should consider doing this parttime while working for a large firm, who might even pay for the courses. And finally, it makes
little sense to me for someone to do postdoctoral work in an academic institution where
pay may be low and the learning experience doesn’t compare to what can be obtained in
industry. Typically, the big firms have all the latest technology available and there is often
no shortage of money or supplies.
Finally, there are many good positions that are constantly becoming available in various
government agencies, including the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Starting salaries may
range between $80K and $100K for individuals with Ph.D.s. Then with this type of experience,
a regulatory affairs job in industry will be easily attainable.
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Additional Resources
North Carolina Community Colleges BioNetwork
Biotech Job Descriptions - www.ncbionetwork.org/careers/biotech-job-examples
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Career Guide to Industries:
Pharmaceutical and Medicine Manufacturing - www.bls.gov/oco/cg/cgs009.htm
Featured Participants
Dartmouth College - www.dartmouth.edu
Incell Corporation - www.incell.com
International Society for BioProcess Technology - www.ISBiotech.org
Merck & Co. - www.merck.com
MiraCosta College - www.miracosta.edu
North Carolina State University - www.ncsu.edu
The Ohio State University - www.osu.edu
University College London - www.ucl.ac.uk
University of Illinois – www.illinois.edu
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